Could a regular Quarter horse that is of fairly good conformation and fitness travel 8 miles at a fast trot in one hour? As in 8miles per hour? Would that be too much to travel that distance, rest for an hour or two, and travel at the same gait back/or another 8-9miles?
Obviously 8 miles is hardly anything to travel for a horse, but can it travel that, at a fast trot slow canter to get the 8-9 miles per hour in?

If the horse is in good condition, sure, he could. A trot is typically 8-10mph, so the speed wouldn't be the problem, he would just need to be conditioned for it.

Ok, another question, Could a horse canter that distance without taking a breather? I personally haven't a clue what the normal is for horses as in how long a fit horse can go at each gait for how long.

Always remember that feeling of looking at a big, open country over the ears of a good horse, seeing a new trail unwind ahead of you, and that ever-spectacular view from the top of the ridge!!! Follow my training blog: http://robertsontraining.blogspot.com/

Ok, another question, Could a horse canter that distance without taking a breather? I personally haven't a clue what the normal is for horses as in how long a fit horse can go at each gait for how long.

My answer to how far they can go at a given gait is 'until they start to struggle a bit'. It greatly depends on the individual horse. I've ridden horses that, when fit, still couldn't lope for a solid hour without needing to slow down and cool off a bit. On the other hand, I've rode horses that I could ride at a lope for hours and they would barely be breathing hard. You just have to learn to read your horse, recognize how he feels and react to it.

Always remember that feeling of looking at a big, open country over the ears of a good horse, seeing a new trail unwind ahead of you, and that ever-spectacular view from the top of the ridge!!! Follow my training blog: http://robertsontraining.blogspot.com/

Could a regular Quarter horse that is of fairly good conformation and fitness travel 8 miles at a fast trot in one hour? As in 8miles per hour? Would that be too much to travel that distance, rest for an hour or two, and travel at the same gait back/or another 8-9miles?
Obviously 8 miles is hardly anything to travel for a horse, but can it travel that, at a fast trot slow canter to get the 8-9 miles per hour in?

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